As the leading trade gateway in North America, the Port of Los Angeles has always been an economic engine of Southern California and a major contributor to the national economy, with about 1.6 million jobs across the United States connected to our cargo trade and operations.

This past year was no different. In fact, 2017 was historically significant in several respects.

For the second year in a row, the port will report record-setting cargo volumes, racking up the highest container volumes in our 110-year history. In November, our container terminals and labor workforce moved more than 924,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units, the busiest month ever for a Western Hemisphere port.

In the midst of record cargo growth these past two years, port emissions continue to decline. The latest Air Emissions Inventory Report shows diesel particulate matter in and around our port complex decreased by 87 percent since 2005, evidence that balanced economic growth and environmental stewardship don’t need to be mutually exclusive goals.

To continue this trend, last month, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach approved an aggressive updated Clean Air Action Plan that sets the air quality bar even higher, with more integration of near-zero and zero-emission technology into port operations over the coming years. This is in addition to other pollution-fighting initiatives approved in the plan.

Our cargo growth has been a direct result of a concerted effort over the last three years on supply chain optimization. This collaboration with the cargo stakeholder community has paid off in significant ways.

Record cargo numbers are providing us the opportunity to invest more in our port infrastructure, from both a brick-and-mortar and a technology standpoint. Our “Digital Infrastructure” efforts in 2017 included a game-changing initiative to digitize critical data that will help cargo owners, rail and trucking companies track their containers and more effectively plan for land-side transport. Combined with ongoing terminal upgrades, we are making great strides in efficient cargo movement across our port supply chain.

Higher cargo efficiency and container volumes also help fuel further investment in our visitor-serving L.A. Waterfront — and we are doing just that. Established in 2015, the Port’s Public Access Investment Plan annually allocates 10 percent of operating revenue funds for public waterfront improvement projects. As container volume and revenue increases, we are able to invest additional funds into L.A. Waterfront projects. A new Wilmington Waterfront Promenade and the realignment of Harbor Boulevard in San Pedro are among several projects underway.

Construction will wrap up by summer on the Harbor Boulevard realignment project, which will provide access to the San Pedro Public Market development slated to open in 2021. We’ll begin construction of the one-mile-long San Pedro Promenade and a new Town Square at 6th Street in 2019.

In Wilmington, construction of the Wilmington Waterfront Promenade is expected in the summer of 2019. At the same time, design for the Avalon Promenade and Gateway project will begin soon, representing an estimated investment of $80 million for these two waterfront access projects.

These initiatives are helping to transform the L.A. Waterfront into a vibrant visitor destination.

Major L.A. Waterfront events this past year have helped attract hundreds of thousands of visitors and re-introduce the area to Southern Californians. These events included L.A. Fleet Week, the Red Bull Global Rally Cross, a music festival, a concert produced for the Jimmy Kimmel Live TV show, and a number of other impressive events.

This month AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles — the emerging marine institute and innovation district under development at historic City Dock No. 1 — broke ground on its first major tenant project, the La Kretz Blue Economy Incubator. In the coming years, AltaSea will help fuel our local cluster of science, academic and blue technology jobs in the L.A. Harbor.

In summary, 2017 was a fantastic year for the Port of Los Angeles and sets the stage for an exciting 2018. Our team at the Los Angeles Harbor Department thanks all the stakeholders who contributed to the banner year.

We’ve got a lot to look forward to in the new year. Together, let’s aim to make 2018 another one for the record books.